to buy from sweetwater vs swee lee?

[NightFallNight]

been wanting to buy a guitar during this covid19 period but not sure if to buy from sweetwater or locally from swee lee.

heard that sweetwater has v good service, but not sure if shd risk having the guitar ship from overseas as it might get damaged otw or might cost much more, but paying a higher price is not an issue if the service is good.

swee lee seems like one of the best in singapore, but from reading reviews recently they have a lot of issues when ordering from online so i'm also worried abt the risk of not getting my order/getting the wrong order/damaged items, then not having a proper or prompt rectification of the issue. Been emailing about the stock of products but no reply, and i've nvr been able to get through their phone lines as it seems like it is always engaged. Left name n email on voicemail, also no follow up. I want to trust that they are an experienced dealer, but this lack of response is a red flag to me.

first time buying a guitar online and new to the instrument, so i'm really hoping for a good experience getting my first guitar. all advice and suggestions on this are greatly appreciated, thank you

 

[CuscoOthriyas]

been wanting to buy a guitar during this covid19 period but not sure if to buy from sweetwater or locally from swee lee.

heard that sweetwater has v good service, but not sure if shd risk having the guitar ship from overseas as it might get damaged otw or might cost much more, but paying a higher price is not an issue if the service is good.

swee lee seems like one of the best in singapore, but from reading reviews recently they have a lot of issues when ordering from online so i'm also worried abt the risk of not getting my order/getting the wrong order/damaged items, then not having a proper or prompt rectification of the issue. Been emailing about the stock of products but no reply, and i've nvr been able to get through their phone lines as it seems like it is always engaged. Left name n email on voicemail, also no follow up. I want to trust that they are an experienced dealer, but this lack of response is a red flag to me.

first time buying a guitar online and new to the instrument, so i'm really hoping for a good experience getting my first guitar. all advice and suggestions on this are greatly appreciated, thank you

Sweetwater is pretty bang on with their service and shipping. Though you should expect setup issues cause of air pressure and humidity changes in international shipping.

I generally avoided Swee Lee because of their pricing though recently it has become more reasonable and on par with market rates if you take shipping costs into account. If you're the risk averse type/hunting for the latest stuff they are a pretty good bet (their online experience is trash though so best off going in person for them once that's possible). Though you might want to check out the smaller stores in peninsula like Music Theme and LutherMusic (these guys know their online business, had great experiences with them. Rather limited selection for guitars though) as well.

Personally I'm not one who really likes the new guitar buying experience, especially not a fan of online, too much receiving, shipping back and waiting again until I get something that feels right. It's usually a better choice to just educate yourself on what to look for in a guitar and go shopping second hand. If you know how to hunt you usually get better guitars at a fraction of the cost. Try reverb or carousell. And ask for plenty of pictures from unusual angles (inside wiring cavity, top of headstock, strap buttons, neck joint) [especially important since you're just starting out, you don't really know if you'll stick with this.]. Plus it's generally easier to play guitars that are already broken in, no need to worry about the "case queen" phase.